Ian Grice joined Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir in September 1985. He has always had choral music in his blood growing up in a strongly Methodist family where parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins were actively involved in The Hill Methodist Church in Kirkby in Ashfield for many years. If you visit the church, you will see several plaques and boards of honour bearing family names; Ian’s mum, brother and sister-in-law still worship there.
His Christian beliefs brought him to the choir as, at that time, many male voice choirs had their roots in churches and in this area the mining industry. Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir can trace its formation back to Rainworth Methodist church where, the choir was inaugurated in 1926 before combining with Mansfield Orpheus in 1944. In 2024 our choir celebrated its 80th anniversary and a moment’s reflection reveals that Ian has been involved for half the life of the choir and 2/3rd of his life…………that is belief and commitment personified.
He began as a 1st tenor, progressed to principal tenor soloist, became Deputy Musical Director in 2007 which he held for 10 years and upon the retirement of Mrs Meryl Chambers in 2017 took up the baton and leadership of the choir. He is highly respected in the Mansfield area, particularly in many of the local churches and the wider male voice choir community, not only in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and with many UK based choirs, but also with the major choirs of Wales and the Welsh Association of Male Choirs (W.A.M.C.). His network has afforded our choir access to participate in the W.A.M.C. festival concerts at The Royal Albert Hall, London, on no less than three occasions and we are well placed to continue in these performances in the future. He has a wonderful ear for music and can pick out an error in a section, or even individual choristers and works with us until it is right. This quality is reflected in our sound. Each chorister can absolutely rely on his conducting skills and feels confident in delivering what he requires to get the best of out of the music in the way the composer and/or arranger conceived the piece. Consequently, our reputation goes before us, and we are welcomed when we seek partner choirs for our annual “away matches” with fellow male voice choirs across the country.
Ian has an enduring, boundless enthusiasm not only for choral music, but also for people; he just likes meeting and getting to know folks. It is his overtly friendly and encouraging nature which sustains the core values of camaraderie, respect and mutual support of which our choir is justly proud. His contributions to the life of our choir are highly valuable to us all and long may it continue. We know that many other choirs would be delighted to have you as their leader.
In the photographs below Ian is presented with a certificate (frame to follow) and a trophy conductor’s baton by David Marriott, President (left) and Geoff Hursthouse (Chairman), right. The dress is informal as it was a relaxed social evening attended by choir members, the choir Supporters’ Group and families and friends. A more formal presentation of engraved glassware was presented to Ian at our 80th Anniversary concert in Southwell Minster on 5th October 2024. Here we were joined by Bestwood, Eastwood Collieries and St. Edmundsbury male voice choirs and the Ravenshead Swing Band and an audience of over 450. That is testament to our performance capability, social networks and a love of choral music which Ian consistently perpetuates. Thanks Ian and sincere congratulations.
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